Aiming for the top

Kate Macrae attended Queen Margaret College from 2011 to 2015 and studied the International Baccalaureate Diploma which opened her eyes to study.

Kate says she came to QMC because her mother, Shona Macrae (née Lyon), attended the college from 1983 – 1986 and wanted her to have the same experience.

“We saw QMC as a leading school that would provide me with many opportunities and the best possible chance to excel in my studies,” Kate explains.

While at school Kate’s favourite subjects were Business Management and Japanese and she was Class Prefect in 2015.

“Some of my highlights at school were the exchange I went on to Tokyo, Japan and the school camp to Abel Tasman National Park. I would love to have the opportunity to go back to either place,” Kate says.

Kate studied NCEA Level 1 and then went on to the IB Diploma.

“IB appealed to me as I believed it would teach me valuable skills such as time management and a strong work ethic,” Kate explains.

“I really saw IB’s benefits at university, where I was able to handle the stress of assignments and I already had that prior understanding and knowledge of some of the topics I was studying.”

Kate is aiming for a Bachelor of Commerce at Victoria University and received a part time position at KPMG, a global accounting firm with a Wellington office.

“I really enjoyed the topics I learnt in Business and Management, and decided that I would study it at university,” Kate says.

“My success in attaining an internship at a “Big Four” accounting firm like KPMG, as well as my final IB Diploma grades confirmed I had made the right choice in pursuing business further.”

“University did take a bit of getting used to though,” she says.

“I was no longer in a small classroom with one-on-one help available from a teacher – I now sit in lecture halls filled with up to 400 students. However the challenges and lessons I learnt from studying the IB enabled me to adapt quickly and re-adjust to my new environment.”

“My aim for the future is to complete my studies at Victoria University and hopefully continue at KPMG as a graduate accountant,” Kate says.

Kate says one of the most important things she learnt at QMC was to take every opportunity given to her and she encourages current students to do the same.

“We often don’t realise how lucky we are to have access to all the things we do at QMC – some opportunities really do have the impact to shape our lives after we leave.”

“I also encourage the girls to really enjoy and value the time they have left at QMC – the friends and memories you make stay with you for a long time.”